this is a collection of the teachings and music from The Restoration Project, a Cooperative Baptist Fellowship church located in Salisbury, MD.
In this week's pod, Josh and Laura discuss the flood narrative in Genesis 6–9. Here are some highlights: (1) this section of Genesis is not meant to be read as a historical reporting of real events, (2) other cultures have their own flood stories, some of which predate Genesis, (3) the similarities (and differences) between Genesis and other ancient Near Eastern flood stories are striking, and (4) should we go ahead and put a moratorium on graphic, violent Old Testament stories for kids ministry. 17 February 2024
Josh and Laura talk a bunch of nonsense and (also) discuss a classic kids' Sunday school story from the book of Mark.
This week, Collin, Tessa, and Josh talk about Jonah! We'll cut to the chase in the description ... it isn't a historical story. But what does it mean? 21 January 2024
Josh and Tessa talk a bunch of nonsense and (also) discuss a classic kids' Sunday school story from the book of Samuel. 14 January 2024 Tessa's pop culture references: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QhyHsu2iwps
Our lectionary passage for this week is Genesis 1:1–5, a well-known, not-at-all-controversial, and theologically dense text. Chris and Laura join Josh in Tessa's kitchen to talk about it. 7 January 2024
Advent sets aside time and space for hopeful anticipation during 4 weeks leading up to Christmas; our lives, however, are characterized during this time by busy schedules, buying gifts, holiday baking, going to events, spending sometimes challenging time with family. Advent asks us to look above it all and see what is coming; hope in the flesh; God with us. In this 4 week series, we will explore biblical texts that inform our understanding of advent. Join us as we look above it all and wait with hopeful anticipation for God with us, Emmanuel.
Advent sets aside time and space for hopeful anticipation during 4 weeks leading up to Christmas; our lives, however, are characterized during this time by busy schedules, buying gifts, holiday baking, going to events, spending sometimes challenging time with family. Advent asks us to look above it all and see what is coming; hope in the flesh; God with us. In this 4 week series, we will explore biblical texts that inform our understanding of advent. Join us as we look above it all and wait with hopeful anticipation for God with us, Emmanuel.
Advent sets aside time and space for hopeful anticipation during 4 weeks leading up to Christmas; our lives, however, are characterized during this time by busy schedules, buying gifts, holiday baking, going to events, spending sometimes challenging time with family. Advent asks us to look above it all and see what is coming; hope in the flesh; God with us. In this 4 week series, we will explore biblical texts that inform our understanding of advent. Join us as we look above it all and wait with hopeful anticipation for God with us, Emmanuel.
Advent sets aside time and space for hopeful anticipation during 4 weeks leading up to Christmas; our lives, however, are characterized during this time by busy schedules, buying gifts, holiday baking, going to events, spending sometimes challenging time with family. Advent asks us to look above it all and see what is coming; hope in the flesh; God with us. In this 4 week series, we will explore biblical texts that inform our understanding of advent. Join us as we look above it all and wait with hopeful anticipation for God with us, Emmanuel.
TRP. Joshua 02. Rahab and the Spies by restoresby
Josh and Tessa (but mostly Josh) talk about all things (well, some things) Joshua 1, and let me tell you ... it gets nerdtastic. Hosts: Josh James and Tessa Stultz Text: Joshua 1 Date: 23 January 2023 restoresby.org
Our very own Suzi Peterson tells the story of her eldest daughter coming out, and how christians responded. Please note, there is an "audience participation" element during this sermon and the audio gets a little *funky*. The cicadas were out in full force that Sunday. Many apologies.
4 April 2022. the restoration project www.restoresby.org Hosts: Josh James (pastor) and Tessa Stultz (graphic designer/muralist/Enneagram 4/creative who likes Phoebe Bridgers)
25 March 2022. the restoration project www.restoresby.org Hosts: Josh James (pastor) and Tessa Stultz (graphic designer/muralist/Enneagram 4/creative who likes Phoebe Bridgers)
18 March 2022. the restoration project www.restoresby.org Hosts: Josh James (pastor) and Tessa Stultz (graphic designer/muralist/Enneagram 4/creative who likes Phoebe Bridgers)
Josh and Tessa are sticking with the laments in this week's podcast, as they chat about Psalm 13. Called the "paradigm" of lament psalms, Psalm 13 provides a good entryway into the world of petitioning God ... although, it's also a bit weird. The poem jumps from what seems to be a terrible situation (vv. 1–4) to some sort of resolution (vv. 5–6). It's a little frustrating. So we talk about it (and music and Hallmark Christmas movies and all sorts of other things that are only quasi-related). the restoration project. 4 March 2022
In this episode, Josh and Tessa talk about all sorts of things ... some of them are even related to Psalm 3. the restoration project. 27 February 2022 www.restoresby.org
So this series is a bit random. I (Josh) had to do some writing on Psalms. More specifically, I had to write 5 sermons on 5 psalms. I used this series to help "motivate" me to finish them. There is no real rhyme or reason as to why I selected these five psalms. They aren't connected in any meaningful way, but they are each really fun. In this first episode, Tessa and I chat about some of the background stuff of Psalms. the restoration project. 15 February 2022 www.restoresby.org
TRP Podcast. Advent Week 3, On Puppets, Calling, and Vipers by restoresby
Ok, if you've ever been to a church service, you know that sometimes the sermons don't really land. It's try for us too. Last week's sermon, for a example, was a little under-baked. Good thing we have a podcast that allows Josh to try and explain "what he had meant to say." The reason why this one was tough is because ... it involves a complete rethink of a few very familiar concepts. Hosts: Josh James (pastor) and Tessa Stultz (content machine) the restoration project. 5 December 2021 www.restoresby.org Things we reference: Alex Melton's Blink 182 inspired version of "Photograph": www.youtube.com/watch?v=nM8JONkD8h4 Kristin Wiig's comedic genius: www.youtube.com/watch?v=QAOiN9CvDlg Dopesick: www.hulu.com/series/dopesick
It's Advent, people. And you know what that means ... The lectionary assigns some pretty weird, very non-Christmasy Bible stories, like this week's text from Luke 21. This text has *everything: signs in the sun, moon, and stars; people fainting from fear and foreboding; the powers of heavens shaking; the Son of Man coming on the clouds/peeking through the bookshelf (a la "Interstellar"). Get some eggnog for this one! Hosts: Josh James (pastor) and Tessa Stultz (content machine) the restoration project. 28 November 2021 www.restoresby.org
This week, we were graced with the presence of one, Anderson Collin (not to be confused with "Tyler") Denton, TRP's new worship leader/sometimes preacher. Since you don't know him, we try to get you caught up to speed on what this North Carolinian is all about, and we talk about Jesus and other related things. Hosts: Josh James (pastor), Tessa Stultz (content machine) the restoration project. 21 November 2021 www.restoresby.org
We have a special guest on the pod this week ... our very own, Associate Pastor, Suzi Peterson, who happened to handle the preaching duties at TRP on Sunday. As you'll hear, she went rogue, because sometimes the passages from the lectionary ain't cutting it. In the life of any church (and any minister), forcing yourself to preach something that won't connect can be tough ... so Suzi, wisely, scrapped it. We talk about why, and why more people don't take a similar route, and how being vulnerable can be good medicine for the preacher and the congregation alike. Hosts: Josh James (pastor), Tessa Stultz (content machine), Suzi Peterson (asspastor) the restoration project. 14 November 2021 www.restoresby.org If you value this sort of content, and you'd like to donate so we can keep making it, we'd be honored. give.restoresby.org
Our text on the pod this week is sort of a two-parter. First, Jesus rails against the religious leaders for their self-aggrandizement and for preying on the vulnerable. (This opens up all sorts of discussion about cool clothes, sneakers, and the ever popular, "long prayers.") And then, in the next section, Jesus observes a vulnerable person—a widow—participating in the very thing he's been railing against. More specifically, this person gives everything she has to the Temple treasury. So ... is she an object for our emulation? Or is she is a symbol of the priests' deceitful practices? And what about religious institutions now? Do they still take advantage of people? (Spoiler: Yes. Yes, they do.) Hosts: Josh James (pastor) and Tessa Stultz (content machine) the restoration project. 7 November 2021 www.restoreby.org
Things are getting *spooky* on the pod this week as Josh and Tessa chat about a really weird passage in Matthew's Gospel (Matthew 27:51-54). The real question is—what's spookier, zombies in the New Testament or something in the Bible not being historical?! Hosts: Josh James (pastor) and Tessa Stultz (content machine) the restoration project. 31 October 2021 www.restoresby.org
This week, Josh and Tessa talk about Jesus healing Bart, you know, the Son of Timaeus (the Son of Timaeus) from Mark 10. In addition to loads of biblical nerd stuff, they also talk miracles, accessibility, and the necessity of community transformation. Hosts: Josh James (pastor) and Tessa Stultz (content machine) the restoration project. 24 October 2021 www.restoresby.org
This week, Josh and Tessa are talking about Mark 10.32-45. Jesus predicts his death (again ...) and the disciples don't get it (again ...). In fact, two of the twelve have a little side chat about sitting on Jesus' left and right when he "enters his glory" in Jerusalem. Naturally, this provides an opportunity for all sorts of ridiculous banter. Be blessed. the restoration project. 17 October 2021. www.restoresby.org Hosts: Josh James (pastor) and Tessa Stultz (content machine)
Ok. So it's been a while since we've uploaded a sermon. (Many apologies.) Part of the reason for that is ... we have been having more conversations lately than normal "sermons." And it's hard to capture the magic of what happens on a Sunday night conversation. So here's what we are doing. We are going to try a long form, podcast style "sermon," which will basically be a Bible nerdfest (and other related conversations). Let us know what you think! Hosts: Josh James (pastor) and Tessa Stultz (content machine) 10 October 2021. the restoration project www.restoresby.org
This was so long ago, I'm not sure who was playing. Tessa Stultz was singing. Bethany Jubilee was on the violin. And some other really talented folks were playing music. (*If you like the graphic, Tessa designed a shirt. Check it out here: https://www.mmmkaycreative.com/product-page/short-sleeve-unisex-t-shirt)
Guest Speaker. Jennifer Garcia Bashaw. Jesus, The Temple, And Prophetic Sign Acts by restoresby
I know what you're thinking. “Isn't this a series on Joseph?” Yes. Yes, it is. But the way the story is told, the author interposes a chapter on one of Joseph's brothers, Judah. It seems completely unrelated, and for many years scholars affirmed that conclusion. But really ... it has a lot of ties to work precedes and what follows. **Also, parents and caretakers of kids, you might want to put your earbuds in, unless you want the kiddos hearing Josh say things like, “masturbation,” “coitus interruptus,” and “shrine prostitute.” (Typical sermon stuff.) the restoration project. Joshua James. 24 January 2021
Joseph has some dreams ... and they don't go over too well with the brothers. In fact, they want to murder him. (Spoiler: They don't. But they do sell him into slavery.) the restoration project. Joshua James. 17 January 2021
New SERIES! We're talking about Joseph. You may know the story — punk kid, coat of many colors (although that's probably a bad translation), has a few dreams, brothers sell him into Egyptian slavery, succeeds and takes on a bunch of responsibility, gets accused of rape, goes to prison, interprets some dreams in "prison," takes on more responsibility, climbs the ladder, gets some "mental revenge" on his brothers, reconnects with his family, forgives his brothers, and then neatly ties the whole thing up into theological truism. Now ... preaching all that? It's hard. We want to reduce it to a moral or a point (usually the whole theological truism bit mentioned above). It's my hope that we hear the story, we note some new pieces of information, and we let this story sit with us, that we ask questions of it, that we enter in and consider — what is God up to? what are these characters up to? what's going on? So in Week 01 ... we set the stage. the restoration project. Joshua James. 10 January 2021
the restoration project. Joshua James. 20 December 2020
Our Advent series this year is themed around the recurring command, "Do Not Fear." It appears throughout the birth narratives of Jesus in the Gospels of Matthew and Luke. This week, we focus on Joseph. He's usually "the guy who has to believe his wife when she said she didn't cheat on him." (She didn't.) But this is a massive reduction to the character of Joseph. if we can silence our own insecurities for a second, we might find that Joseph is doing something pretty crazy in his context. the restoration project. Joshua James. 13 December 2020
Our Advent series this year is themed around the recurring command, "Do Not Fear." It appears throughout the birth narratives of Jesus in the Gospels of Matthew and Luke. This week, we focus on Mary, an 8th grader (more or less), who I think we have broadly misunderstood. When Luke places her story in contrast to that of Zechariah, however, we see her for what she is ... a bold, risk-taking, obedient young woman, ready to take on the world. the restoration project. Joshua James. 6 December 2020
the restoration project. Joshua James. 29 November 2020
the restoration project. Suzi Peterson. 11 October 2020
the restoration project. Joshua James. 04 October 2020
the restoration project. Joshua James. 27 September 2020
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